Last week, Hertford was transformed into 1970s Barnstaple. Actors, directors, producers, gaffers, best boys and key grips all descended on Hertford for the filming of a BBC drama about the turbulent life and times of politician Jeremy Thorpe.

For three days, traffic was paused and diverted, shops and hotels had their frontage expertly changed and taken back half a century and the good folk of sleepy Hertford looked on with interest and amusement. The somewhat passive mood changed dramatically when rumour spread faster than a Trump Tweet that Hugh Grant was coming to town to be filmed in some of the scenes. The size of the crowds grew but by Thursday (the last day of the shooting) there was no sighting of the Notting Hill heart throb. Frustrated residents had to be satisfied with appearances from Ben Wishaw and Blake Harrison – both established thespians in their own right and instantly recognised by many in the growing throng. Oh, and a couple of Great Danes who featured in the filmed sequences, more than stole the show. 

The people in charge of crowd control were charming and polite. Nevertheless they were firm and direct about asking for quiet when the cameras were rolling for a take. The crowd generally accepted this and looked on in silence. What I found interesting, and somewhat ironic, was that the actors all mimed their lines during shooting. Presumably the sound track is added on at a later date.

The sheer amount of filming equipment, vehicles and crew was overwhelming and it was a miracle that the whole exercise seemed to move from Chaos to Order in such a short space of time. Then it was all over – a tribute to whoever was in charge of logistics! Three different locations in Hertford on consecutive days and by Friday morning no-one would know they had been here at all. Hertford moved back into the present day, none the worse for the experience.